中文导读

每年十月，夜空中都会出现一场和哈雷彗星有关的“表演”——猎户座流星雨（Orionid meteor shower）。《卫报》10月19日的 Starwatch 专栏提醒，今年的流星雨预计在10月21日至22日夜间达到极大，理想条件下每小时可见10到20颗流星；Space.com 和格林尼治皇家天文台（Royal Observatory Greenwich）也发布了观测建议。文章大致按“现象—原因—条件—方法”展开：先说流星雨从哪里来，再解释彗星尘埃为什么会变成“流星”，然后说明今年明亮月光带来的限制和较好的观测时段，最后给出简单实用的观看建议。阅读时可留意 may、probably、seem to 等词如何表达估计和不确定性；另外，文中的月落时间是伦敦和北美的情况，其他地区要以当地天文信息为准。

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Every October, Earth passes through a cloud of dust left behind by Halley’s Comet, the most famous comet of all. This week, that dust will create the Orionid meteor shower. According to the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the shower is active from October 2 to November 7 and is expected to reach its peak on the night of October 21 to 22. The comet itself will not return until 2061, so the shower is a small chance to see a piece of it.

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每年十月，地球都会穿过哈雷彗星留下的一片尘埃云。哈雷彗星可以说是最著名的彗星。本周，这些尘埃将带来猎户座流星雨。据格林尼治皇家天文台介绍，这场流星雨的活跃期为10月2日至11月7日，预计在10月21日至22日夜间达到极大。哈雷彗星本身要到2061年才会回归，因此这场流星雨是一个小小的机会，让人们看到它的一部分。

A comet is a ball of ice, rock and dust. As it moves near the sun, some of its frozen material turns into gas, and tiny pieces of dust are left along its path. Halley’s Comet has probably gone around the sun more than a thousand times in the past 100,000 years, so its path is full of these pieces. When Earth crosses the trail, they hit the air at about 66 kilometers per second. They heat the air and burn up, creating the bright lines that people call “shooting stars.”

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彗星是由冰、岩石和尘埃组成的天体。当它靠近太阳时，一些冻结的物质会变成气体，细小的尘埃颗粒便留在它的轨道上。在过去10万年里，哈雷彗星很可能已经绕太阳运行了一千多圈，所以它的轨道上布满了这样的碎屑。当地球穿过这条尘埃带时，这些颗粒以大约每秒66公里的速度撞入大气。它们使空气受热并燃烧殆尽，形成人们所说的“流星”那一道道亮线。

The shower is named after Orion, a group of stars that is easy to find in winter. If you follow the paths of the meteors backward, they seem to come from a point near Orion. However, they can appear anywhere in the sky, so a wide, open view matters more than looking in one direction.

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这场流星雨以猎户座命名，猎户座是一组在冬季很容易找到的星星。如果顺着流星的轨迹往回看，它们似乎都来自猎户座附近的一个点。不过，流星可能出现在天空的任何地方，所以视野开阔比盯着某一个方向更重要。

This year, the conditions are not perfect. Under a dark sky, one person may see 10 to 20 Orionid meteors per hour, The Guardian reports. But a bright moon, which is more than half full, will hide many of the weaker ones. In London, the moon sets at about 3 a.m., and in many parts of North America it sets shortly after 2 a.m. That leaves a few hours of darker sky before sunrise, just as Orion is climbing high.

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今年的观测条件并不完美。据《卫报》报道，在黑暗的夜空下，一个人每小时可能看到10到20颗猎户座流星。但一轮超过半圆的明亮月亮会把许多较暗的流星掩盖掉。在伦敦，月亮大约在凌晨3点落下；在北美许多地方，月落时间在凌晨2点刚过。这样，在日出之前会留下几个小时较暗的天空，而那时猎户座正好升得很高。

Watching does not require special equipment. The meteors can be seen with the naked eye, so binoculars and telescopes are not needed. Observers are advised to find a safe place away from street lights, wear warm clothes and give their eyes time to get used to the dark. Patience matters too. The Royal Observatory calls meteor watching “a waiting game.”

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观看流星雨不需要特殊设备。流星用肉眼就能看到，所以不需要双筒望远镜或天文望远镜。观测者最好找一个远离路灯的安全地点，穿上保暖的衣服，并给眼睛一些时间适应黑暗。耐心也很重要。皇家天文台把观看流星称为“一场等待的游戏”。

Halley’s Comet last visited the inner solar system in 1986. Until it comes back, the Orionids offer a yearly reminder of its long journey. Those who miss the peak need not worry: the shower can still be seen for several days before and after the main date.

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哈雷彗星上一次进入内太阳系是在1986年。在它回来之前，猎户座流星雨每年都在提醒人们它漫长的旅程。错过极大日的人也不必担心：在主要日期前后的几天里，仍然可以看到这场流星雨。

新闻来源

• The Guardian · Starwatch: Catch the Orionid meteor shower streak across the night sky (19 Oct 2026)
• Space.com · How to see the Orionid meteor shower 2026 peak this week — and when to look (16 Oct 2026)
• Royal Museums Greenwich · Orionid meteor shower 2026: when and where to see it in the UK

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